Improvement in grain separators and cleaners



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..l

DAVID W. HARSHBARGER, 0F MYERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,146, dated July 7, 1863.

.To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, DAVID W. HARSH- BARGER,ofMyersburg, in the county ofBradford and `State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machilies for Hulling and Cleaning Grain and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l is avertical section of my improved machine in the plane of the line x fr, Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the saine in the plane of line y y, Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a vertical section at right angles to the others in the plane of line z z, Figs. l and 2.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A suitable frame, A, is provided having at the proper position on its top a grain-hopper, B, resting over a vibrating screen, C. rlhe screen is connected at one end with a vibrating support, al, and atthe opposite with a rocklever, D, pivoted at b, and whose lower end forms a fork, e, resting over a cam-wheel, d. The shaft e of the cam-wheel receives its motion by a gear, E, engaging with a gear, F, on the main driving-spindle G. By this means the screen is vibrated forth and back, and the grain sifted through and separated from the coarser impurities-such as straw, te. From the screen the grain falls into a convcyer, H, below its bottom j', opening into the eye ofthe upper hulliug-stone, I, which rests on the end of the spindle G, while the bedstone l is stationary. The stones are iuclosed by a close circular curb, K, Figs. 1 and 3, which prevents the entrance of a current of air, except through the bottom f of the conveyer above. I make the acting surface of the upper stone concave, and the corresponding surface of the lower stone convex to it. The stones are se parated a greater or less distance, as may be desired, to adaptthem to hulling diiferent kinds of grain, or grain in different conditions, by raising or lowering the spindle G. To accomplish this easily, and without throwing the gearwheels E F out of engagement, the lower end of the spindle rests in a beam, L, Figs. 1 and 3, hinged at g, and having a standard, h, which forms the inner bearing of the shaft e of the cam-wheel d. The opposite end of the beam has a rod, t', connected with it, and passing upward through the frame, a hand-screw, 7c, screwing on its end to raise or lower it.

The arrangement of all the parts before described is very convenient, and enables me not' only to screen the grain preparatory to hulling it, thus removing the coarser impurities, and to introduce it between the stones, but also to adjust the stones to any kind or condition of grain without disarranging or interfering in the least with the perfect working of the other parts. Thus as the beam L. supporting the revolving stone, is raised or lowered to. produce the proper adjustment, the standard-bearing h, secured thereto, is correspondingly raised. or lowered, thereby keeping the gears E Falways in the saine relative position, so that their engagement is never interrupted, and also preserving the relative connection of the cam-wheel d and rock-lever D, so that the screen will receive its reciprocations the same at all adjustments.

I do not claim merely producing an adjustment of t-he stones without disengaging the gearing, as I am aware that such au effect is produced in various relatives; but I do claim the arrangement and combination ot' all the parts composing the device having such a connection with the adjustment. The use of the screen and its connecting parts with the stones and adjustingbeam I believe to be new. By making the stones concave and convex, as described, I secure a great advantage over the flat-surfaced stones in ordinary use, for in the latter, there being no incline for carrying the grain off, it is subject to clogging, thus impeding the action by avery slow discharge, andthe grain frequently becoming broken and crushed from the mass collecting between the stones. The incline between the stones in my arrangement produces a perfect discharge without clogging or crushing. This action is assisted by a draft of air (caused bya means hereinafter described) produced through the discharge-spout l, Fig. 3, which, opening between the stones, draws all the hulls and also all the grains out, thus keepin git perfectly clear. The spout l passes downward in an inclined direction, and opens into a chamber, M, which is provided with a revolving fan-beater, N, at a suitable position therein, and whose bottom is slightly inclined, and is made concave transversely, and is suitably perforated to allow dust and small seeds to pass through, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Beneath the perforated bottom are two compartments, n and u, and at the lower end ofthe bottom is a third compartment, p. The rst compartment, a, is for the passage of air; the second, o, for the reception of seeds and impurities that separate through the perforated bottom, and thc last, p, for the reception of the cleaned grain. At the upper part of the chamber M at one end is an outlet, q, Fig. 2, communicating with a passage, r, extending upward, and opening into a case, O, which contains an ex haust-fan, P, the exhaust air escaping through an eductionoutlet. s. Fig. 3. The passage 1' below the outlet q forms a spout, t, for the escape ot' chess, and if necessary the end of this spout may be Covered by a valve to protect the draft. By this arrangement as the grain escapes from the hulling-stones through the spout l. it strikes the wings of the swit`tlyre volving-beater N, which effectually scours it ot' all dirt and smut. It then falls on the inclined perforated bottom m, sliding gradually downward to the compartment p, into which it escapes, while the foreign seeds and im purities pass through the perforated bottom into the compartment o. While passing over the perforated bottom the grain is effectually stirred by the blast from the beater, which also acts as a fan, its effect being furthermore to create a drat't through the spout l, between the hulling-stones, and still upward through the conveyer H and screen G, there being no inlet of air from any other source. Thus there is a constant draft through the grain from its entrance to its escape from the machine. rIhis action is most eifective in removing the dust and impurities from the grain, and also in keeping' all the parts free and unobstructed, (and especially the stones,as before described,) a: could not otherwise be done from the difficulty of reaching them. The curb K in particular would become iilled around the stones were there no draft to keep it clear. The intensity of the draft through the spout l is still further increased by the exhaust-fan I), which acts in conjunction with the fan N. In addition to this action it also serves another and essential purpose, which is to draw off the dust created by the beater in the chamber M which dust would otherwise, from its intensity, settle down with the cleaned grain. An ord inary disch argeoutlet would not be sufficient for the expelling of the dust, and, besides, it would allow an escape of the grain.

This machine is also adapted to separating grain aside from hulling.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The arrangementand combination of the concave and convex hulling-stones I I', spindle G, adjusting-beam L, cam-wheel d, rock-lever D, vibrating screen C, and conveyer H in such a manner that the grain is screened and conveyed to the stones, and said stones are adjusted without affecting the action of the screen, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The fan-beater N, revolving in the chamber M,the perforated bottom m, compartments n 0 p, and the auxiliary exhaustfan I), the two fan-chambers being connected by the passages q r, the whole arranged, combined, and operating substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The specific arrangement of the whole machine, whereby a draft is produced between the stones and through the grain from the time of its ingress to its exit, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signedmy name in the presence oftwo subscribing 

